


The Quartermaster (Fates)

by Painful_Parody



Series: Quartermaster [2]
Category: Fire Emblem, Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Background Relationships, Blood, Canon-Typical Violence, Dialogue Heavy, Drinking, Gen, Humor, Mild Gore, Mild Language, Occasional Dark Themes, Original Character - Freeform, Protagonist is a smartass, mostly lighthearted, slow start
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-22
Updated: 2018-02-18
Packaged: 2019-03-08 04:17:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 16,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13450371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Painful_Parody/pseuds/Painful_Parody
Summary: A sequel to my first Quartermaster story, set in the world of FE: Fates. A young Nohrian finds herself caught up in a war, she finds a person to follow instead of a nation. Things spiral, and before she knows it, she finds herself with the title Quartermaster and becomes tasked with managing and keeping track of supplies. Shenanigans ensue.





	1. Happenstance

**Author's Note:**

> I kicked around ideas for how to start this story for a while; the first, most important part, obviously, was making someone interesting and different from Aurora. I had to consider the name, the design, whether they should originally be Hoshidan or Nohrian, and eventually this was the result. I don't know if it's final, and I could retcon this and rewrite the whole damn thing (already have once), but for now, let me know.
> 
> To give you an idea, the first character I designed was a Nohrian man who was frankly something of a bitter asshole. He wasn't very likable. Interesting, but no fun to write for.
> 
> And, as a heads-up, unlike Awakening which I have played back-to-front many times, Revelations is a bit murkier for me, and I'll probably be doing runs of it while I write this, so waiting for new chapters might be a bit long once in awhile (as if that's any different from normal).
> 
> TL;DR: I don't know Fates as well as I do Awakening, so this might be less cohesive.
> 
> I might add a few Xenologues I missed or bonus chapters to the original Quartermaster Story, if the mood strikes me, so just a heads up. That one might still update as well.
> 
> As usual, I'll try to reply to reviews in here unless they're just "Good story" (or otherwise not interesting or useful enough), or if you specifically ask me not to.
> 
> I might try naming chapters as well, if I can remember to. I usually don't do that, it's just something new.
> 
> Okay, enough babble. Enjoy.

_**Excerpt from the diary of Belladonna Rocha** _

_It seems like every step I take towards having my life sorted out nicely, lady Fate comes around and deals me a quick blow on the back of the head, rifles through my pockets and tosses me elsewhere. Things were going smoothly as someone in, what is, granted, a morally questionable profession such as my own could have been expected._

_Information is such a valuable thing. People pay good coin for dirt on others. Hire a street rat to tail a husband for a suspicious wife, grease some servant palms for gossip about their lords and ladies, and suddenly you have a whole pile of notes that people desperately wish for you to share. And in this case, talk isn't cheap. So long as I avoided outright blackmail, I was hoping things would be alright, especially so long as I was focusing my efforts on the shadier dealings of the nobility._

_And then my information gathering skills get me shipped to a village in the backwaters of Nohr. Right up against the mountains. "Mayoress" my arse, I bet some local nobility found out I had "somehow" uncovered some information they'd rather keep hidden and "recommended" me to be in charge of a settlement right smack up against Hoshido. I would have tried to weasel out of it but what could I do? The order was signed by King Garon himself, so whoever I pissed off must have a hell of a lot of pull. Now, if war breaks out, this little town (I don't even know if we can call it a town, it's so small) will be one of the first places to get taken over if Hoshido gets a foothold... Still, nothing to do but start I suppose._

* * *

 

_Running a town isn't as tough as I thought it would be. It's mostly a lot of bookkeeping. Numbers and math and such. Organizing who builds what and where. Fortunately the ground here is pretty fertile- it's a surprisingly safe little patch of good growing dirt smack up against the border, as close as we can get without border guards of either country from harassing us. (Believe you me, if we were closer the Nohrian guards would be worse than the Hoshidans, they've become so paranoid as of late). Now if only we weren't so close to Bottomless Canyon, I'd feel a bit more at ease. That place has always unnerved me. Never been there myself, but, well, people must say it's bottomless for a reason, right?_

* * *

 

_The Faceless have been roaming. Bad sign. I've been keeping my axe close at all times and had the local smith start production on some simple spears and swords. We've only got one trained soldier and a militia of maybe ten or so. We're gonna need more in case those nightmares approach._

* * *

 

_Trade caravan. Merchants are always a good sign. We got a bit of extra food and some salt to preserve meat so we can start a stockpile. They didn't spend much here, just enough for some food and beds, but anything's better than nothing. Seems like the Faceless are quiet for now._

_I'm not sure if that's a good thing or bad thing. We've got the militia running some drills and training, getting stronger. This job is surprisingly better than I expected. The pay isn't quite as much as I made before, but it's still decent wages and I still have a nice little nest egg from my brokering work._

_...I almost wrote down where I'd stashed it, but I think it might be imprudent to write where I keep my personal savings, since I can remember it myself._

* * *

 

_Visitors today. A few looked like fancy castle-types. They were pretty cagey about what they were doing here. I'm suspicious. The bald one looks like trouble, and I know most of the noble Nohrian faces pretty well and I've never seen the white-haired girl before. Her getup was quite unusual as well. Not like any armor I'd ever seen._

_Old habits die hard. I've been nosing around trying to find out who they are. Our resident veteran told me the older one with the heavy armor is a knight by the name of Gunter. The stuffy one is a servant- a butler. If we were anywhere else but Nohr I'd be less interested, but servants here are rather skilled at just about anything. Sure, a good servant can make your bed and cook you a meal, but an excellent servant can bury a dagger into a would-be assassin from ten paces away._

_I'm curious. I can't help myself. Intrigue has always been alluring to me. I may be risking my neck, but I'm going to follow them- just a short way past town. I'll leave John in charge while I'm gone. He's inexperienced, but has an excellent head on his shoulders and has helped me prevent this place from running itself into the ground. He'll manage for a few days._

_Or until they send a replacement for me in the event that, gods forbid, I don't return._

* * *

Belladonna sighed as she adjusted her clothes. She should have worn pants instead of this skirt. Fine Nohrian clothing certainly looked wonderful on those who could afford it, but it was hardly the most practical. She had been following the strangers at a distance, taking a slightly more roundabout route. They seemed to be investigating the Bottomless Canyon, which caused her to feel even more suspicious. Disguised Hoshidans, or bandits. Either would be dangerous if they knew where the village was.

Bella was a tall, powerfully built woman. She was also rather soft and pretty looking, so when she responded to threats by picking up a huge battle axe, it had a tendency to startle people. Even more so when she started swinging it. She carefully stayed low, brushing her curly blonde hair from her eyes, frowning a bit, crouched low and wary.

Then, quite suddenly, as things often do in situations like this. Without much warning there were shouts- confrontation, and before Bella knew it, there was a full-blown skirmish breaking out. Hoshidans apparently- patrolling the canyon. One of the Nohrians rushed to attack, seemingly against orders. He rushed in, killed a nearby Hoshidan, before rushing blindly forward.

 _Oh hell._  She slipped from her position behind the rocks, intending to return swiftly to the village to relay the alarming news- this was an act of full-blown war if she had ever seen one, and she needed to warn their tiny border town before-

She stumbled, as the cliff suddenly rumbled, a huge burst of light emanating from the Nohrian side. Belladonna squeaked as the earth below her shook and rolled, eyes wide. "What the-?" She squeaked, diving behind some rocks and holding on for dear life as the entire cliff proceeded to roll and shift, closing a gap in the chasm and dumping Bella off in some rubble. She lay there for a moment, hidden by the rocks and boulders that miraculously had not crushed her, head spinning a bit.

Bella was trapped. The rocks had fallen around her, forming a little cave. She could only watch the skirmish- the Nohrians, in spite of their lesser numbers, on the defensive, managed to route the small force at the border, and began to retreat. A full-blown battle was brewing, as troops on both ends arrived- however, neither side attacked outright after a brief clash and withdrawal from one another, hesitant to advance further.

From her raised position, above the two armies on the bridges, trapped in what was practically a cave formed haphazardly on the cliffs, Bella could only watch, cursing her luck. She could try to clear some of the rubble, but she couldn't tell how much rock might be above her. There was no sense trying to push out when it was possible there was a half-ton of cliff sitting on top of the boulders that had crashed around her, and the only hole she could see through was too small to fit herself through.

Turning, Belladonna spied the strange, silver-haired girl and the knight, on one of the bridges, apparently separated from the rest and ordered to retreat. Several other Nohrians from the main force to the east were also retreating, slowly, facing the Hoshidans. Both sides were pulling out at least.

When Bella glanced back at the silver-haired girl, she uttered a startled sound. The big, untrustworthy looking man was backing away from her, axe in hand. He looked startled, as if something frightening had happened. He bolted away from her, and then-

Honestly, Bella had no clue. Something… Exploded? There was a resounding crack, and a flash of light, and the girl was gone as well. The shockwave from the blast shook the bridge violently, blowing it apart.

 _What in the name of all the Gods and Goddesses?_ Bella shuddered- it seemed no one else had seen that. Which of course meant nobody would believe her.

_I need to get out of here._

"Hello? Hey! Someone?" She called, to no avail. She was just a bit too high, and the Nohrian forces both too distant and too noisy to be able to distinguish her shouts from their own. "Damn!" She cursed, falling to a seated position with a huff, crossing her arms. At least her small provisions and her axe were unharmed as well. She sipped carefully from her waterskin, only taking a little bit to sate her thirst.  _Might need to ration this all out for a while._  She thought, studying her supplies. Enough food and water to last two days. Four if she was stingy. "...Hellfire." She grumbled. "...This is going to be absolutely miserable."

For a good long while, she sat and pondered, until the canyon was silent, both armies having fallen back. She tried calling for help again, but gave up, deciding to rest for a moment, a bit dazed from the ordeal.

Hours later, the stubborn urge to yell overcame her, and Bella sat up, deciding to call out one last time. " _Hey! Can anyone hear me?! I need help! I don't even care whose side you're on, I'd rather die quick then starve slowly in here! Hello?!"_ Silence, just her voice echoing out into the mountains.

Bella sighed, falling back. She wished that something would happen. Someone could pass, or the rocks could shift and scare her, but  _nothing_  was happening and it was driving her slowly but surely mad.

She curled on the floor, exhausted, and using her food pouch for a pillow, fell into a barely fitful sleep.

* * *

Bella was jarred awake late, as the sun was setting when she heard a shout from below.

" _Die, Nohrian scum!"_

Well, that wasn't very welcoming. Bella sighed, glancing at her filthy, dirty clothing. Perhaps she could pass as a commoner who simply got swept up and conscripted, though her axe was a bit too ornate for that. Thinking fast, Bella gave another shout.

"Hello?! Hello?! I'm trapped here! In the name of all that's good, help!"

Then, she smeared some dirt and gravel on the tip of her battleaxe's metal-ended handle, hiding some of the fancier metalwork. She leaned back, hoping that the Hoshidan heard her. She also scrubbed some more dirt on her hair and popped off her earrings, pocketing them. Might as well fully play the part.

A moment later, she heard the voice but closer.

"Who goes there?" Barked a deep, but unmistakably female voice.

"Here!" Bella called, coughing a bit as some dirt got in her mouth. "Agh… Hold on!" She shifted close to her airhole and shoved her arm through, flailing it, before pulling back. "I'm trapped here! I don't know who you are or where you came from, but I've been here for a day and a half, maybe more."

There was a pause, then the voice was closer. "Hmph. How did you manage that?"

"Search me!" Bella replied shrilly. "I was on one of the cliff faces and suddenly they started… moving, like- like nothing I'd ever seen! It sounds mad, but-"

"Dragon Vein." The woman on the other side of the rock grunted. "Pushed the cliffs together."

"Well, whatever it was, it proper gave me a bad sort, didn't it?" Bella growled a bit, shuffling a bit closer to her air hole and peering out. She winced at the bright sky, lit by the sunset, and adjusted her gaze a bit. "Ah. Hello."

Standing on the other side was a woman, clad in what looked like furs, with a stocky, muscular build. The woman glowered at Bella's eyes, the only part of her that was visible. "...Fine. Step back. If you make a wrong move, I'll crack your head."

"Fair!" Bella backed up, away from the rubble. "I am armed, so long as we're being upfront. Got an axe on me."

"Rrgh. Of course." Even through the barrier of rocks, Belladonna could sense the annoyed glare. Bella inhaled in shock as suddenly several rocks were drawn aside.

"Hold up!" She squeaked as the large, flat stone shifted. Thinking fast she rolled several rocks to support the large, perilously positioned "roof" of her cave. "Okay, okay… It's clear. Keep going."

It was slow work. Bella would do her best to support the cave from the inside, while the woman outside slowly pulled and dug the rocks away, piece by piece. Soon, there was a sizable hole, just a little too small to squeeze through.

The rock shifted and made a soft grating sound as it slid down an inch or two, causing Bella to panic a bit.

"Oh Gods above-  _This is stupid_!" Bella gritted her teeth, lunging and slamming her axe into the wall, smashing through what thin rocks remained. She internally winced.  _That's gonna nick up the blade._

Luckily, the woman outside had cleared just enough away for Bella to plow through, tumbling out and gasping, sucking in deep breaths of fresh-air. There was a rumble, and the little cave that Bella had been trapped within collapsed with a heavy boom. She scrambled backwards as rock and dirt slid violently down the cliff face, nearly sending her tumbling into the canyon. She grunted, getting a foothold, grabbing the woman who had freed her, giving her a sharp push to direct her away from the sudden rockslide.

" _Go!"_  She shouted, stumbling and diving to avoid a collapsing mound of dirt, panting for breath and coughing in the dust, crawling and stumbling to her feet as dirt and rock fell about her, charging to a safe side of the cliff. "Agh, all the gods above…" She stumbled over some jagged rock, before landing hard. "...Ow."

Then, silence. The rockslide the pair had inadvertently caused had come to a halt, the air still choked with dirt and dust. Bella slowly rose up, using her axe as a staff to stand. "...Oh gracious. That was quite a misadventure. Hope that woman's okay."

"You should be hoping I'm dead, Nohrian." The cold voice made Bella jump, and she turned, standing tall. She probably would look more intimidating if she wasn't battered and bruised, coated in a fine layer of dust and with her normally meticulous hair and outfit in a total mess. She sighed, leaning on her axe.

"Oh come on, now. You just saved me from a very slow and horrific death. No one would have even found me, I bet. Quite a pitiful end for a lovely lady like me, wouldn't you agree?"

"Shut up." The woman growled, brandishing a heavy club. Bella's eyebrows went up slightly. She had never seen a Hoshidan wielding a club up close before. A katana or naginata had a different fighting style, but at the end of the day would not be all that different from a sword or a lance. But a club was something she'd never really thought about, or had any knowledge of how to fight against it. All Bella knew for sure was to avoid the hefty brass tip.

Still, she'd rather not pick a fight with someone who had just saved her life. She kept her stance firm, but did not raise her axe towards the woman, keeping it low and on the defensive.

"Mm, afraid I can't fight you, ma'am." She said earnestly. "Wouldn't be right."

The woman glared, somewhere between anger, irritation and confusion. There was a touch of justifiable paranoia in there, too. "Your words mean nothing, snake."

"Ah, how sharper than a serpent's tooth are such distrusting words." Bella sighed, more to herself than to the Hoshidan. "Still, I suppose it's wise, considering the circumstances."

"You Nohrians have done nothing to warrant my trust." The woman snarled, giving her club a menacing spin, staring Bella down, ready to rush in the slightest provocation. Bella stood tall and firm.

"I suppose not…" She shrugged, sighing. "But I'm not taking this axe to someone who just saved me."

The Hoshian ground her teeth, looking more frustrated than she was angry now. "Then I'll just take you prisoner!" She lunged and jabbed the club at Bella's hands, who backed off sharply, looking mildly alarmed.

"Easy." She said sternly, shifting her grip on her weapon a bit, before relaxing. "I might not want to harm you, but I'm not going to let you break my fingers. Here, if you insist upon taking me with you- and who could blame you," She added with a mocking wink. I'll just make it easy." Bella hefted her axe and the woman tensed, until she casually twisted her grip, holding it out, offering the stranger the handle. "Go on. Take it. If that doesn't cement the fact I'm not up for chopping you in two," She chuckled grimly as the Hoshidan wrapped her hands around the hilt, snatching it back. "Not much will…"

"Walk in front of me, Nohrian. You have someone to carry." The Hoshidan grunted, shouldering the heavy axe, stumbling in surprise under its weight. Bella shrugged and let Rinka prod her along, until the odd pair reached the lower paths and bridges of the canyon.

"Well now." Belladonna hummed, as she saw the "someone" in question. "Aren't you full of surprises, little lady?" It was the silver-haired girl that had caused all of this. Bella crouched and lifted the fairly light woman in her arms effortlessly.

"You know this one?" Rinkah raised a brow.

"I saw her before everything went to hell." Bella replied, deadpan. "Although I was certain she died. Thought I saw her fall in the canyon, but I suppose I didn't have the best view." She shifted, cradling the woman carefully. "Huh, awful small up close. She seemed taller from a distance."

"...Or perhaps you have a skewed sense of size." Her captor grunted, annoyed. The Hoshidan was not a small woman, by any means. In fact she was fairly tall and muscled, but Bella was easily taller and broader than her. Taller than some of the tallest people she knew in fact. Bella liked being tall. It made it easy to intimidate people she didn't like, and it was easier to tell when someone was actually making eye-contact with her and not staring elsewhere.

Strangely, her muscular bulk also made some people underestimate her. If it weren't for her predilection for fancy garb, she would likely be mistaken as someone in a very physical profession- and nobles especially tended to think poorly on those who performed physical lives. Bella possessed a keen and devious mind, and was perfectly willing to play the fool once in a while if it meant finding a bit of information to weaponize or pawn off.

But that was in the past, and now, Bella felt something she could call impending doom creeping in.

* * *

After a long while of walking, Rinkah (as Bella managed to discover was her name), slowed, approaching a distant village, cast in shadow as the sun began to fully dip behind the horizon. It was tucked into the valley, in a safe and defensible position.

Rinkah took Bella to a cabin near the outskirts, before gesturing to the Nohrian to lay the Noble girl upon a makeshift bed. Bella gently lowered her down, frowning thoughtfully. The girl was strange, that was a certainty. Pale and lithe, and also, oddly, shoeless.

"Huh." Was all she said, crossing her arms, glancing at Rinkah, who watched her warily. Bella slid to the floor against a wall. "What now?"

"We wait." Rinkah curiously tested Bella's axe, giving it a light half-swing. "Stay in here. I've someone to meet." And with that, the tanned woman turned and stepped outside.

Bella could have tried to run, but she had already tested her luck hard enough for a while. Lost in Hoshido, with quite a ways back to the border town… Well, it would be best not to risk it. For now, she'd play it by ear.

She leaned back and glanced at her small bag. Rinkah had searched it, and once she was confident it held no weapons or incriminating evidence to prove Bella was some kind of spy, she had allowed her to keep it. A small gesture of kindness, or perhaps it was just the Hoshidan woman's sense of honor.

With a sigh, she dug out her diary and pen, dipping the tip in her sealed inkwell and began to write. She needed to put her thoughts down on paper.

_So, a full-blown war is starting to approach, and lucky me, I seem to have got my overcurious self caught right in the middle of the thing, and may be facing imprisonment, interrogation and if things go particularly badly, execution. Probably not torture, at least, that doesn't seem very much up this woman's alley._

_Well, uh. Damn. I didn't expect this. I have to keep myself sharp though._

_Alright, Bella, think. How can you avoid being stabbed by Hoshidans after being captured, and how would you avoid being stabbed back in Nohr for the mere suspicion of any kind of collusion... I'm between a rock and a lot of very unpleasant sharp places. Luckily, this woman, Rinkah, is being a little reasonable, if very aggressive and ready to bash my head in if I get out of line. She's got honor, though, so as long as I'm not holding a weapon I don't think she'll kill me. It's an acceptable kind of mutual distrust that we're sharing here. At least I'll get some sunlight and air and water before I die, if things do wind up going wrong._

_I really don't know what the hell to do. I've never had much of an opinion on Hoshido. I never understood where the conflict with them even came from. I'm none-too fond of our King, or the Nobility, but I know literally nothing of Hoshidan politics or even culture. For all I know, it might be worse, or just the same. The most I know is that they're well-armed and well-supplied, but it's not like Nohr is much different in that respect._

_There really is no "good" side in a war, is there?_

_For now, I'll just focus on keeping myself out of trouble and do as I'm told. Do what I always do best. Listen, gather, and utilize what I have. First thing I learned. Works for running a town, an army, being an information broker, and not getting myself killed._

_With any luck, I'll survive this madness._

_Belladonna Rocha, signing off._


	2. Axe-Maiden

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is a little more of a buildup than the first story was  
> And it's more story-focused too I think  
> But I like it  
> It'll get funnier and more lighthearted later I promise

Bella was rather rudely nudged awake, and she nearly snatched at the foot on instinct, but her hands had been bound while she slept. Fair enough. She was technically a prisoner.

"Sit up so I can untie your hands." Rinkah said, annoyed. "You have to eat somehow." Bella grumbled, but obediently shifted.

She was handed a bowl of… rice? It was bland, but filling. Not the sort of food she was used to, but she could put up with it. The noble girl was stirring as well, beginning to awaken; but Bella contented herself with eating and listening.

"Nng…?" She murmured, clutching her aching head.

"Ah, you're awake…" Rinkah murmured, glancing at her. "Sorry about the bump on your head." She smirked oddly, and Bella's curiosity was baited further.

"You…! From the Flame Tribe right? Where… are we?"

Flame Tribe. More information to quietly file away.

"Yes, I am Rinkah. This is a Flame Tribe village, within Hoshido's territory. I'm going to hand you over to the Hoshidan authorities."

"I see…" The slender woman lowered her gaze, looking afraid, but… strangely accepting of her fate. "I suppose they will want an explanation of the unprovoked attack… And then probably execute me."

"Heh." Rinkah's smirk grew. "I don't think so."

Bella shifted uncomfortably, causing a board to creak. The noble girl's head snapped up, her gaze meeting Bella's.

"Ah… Your clothes… You are Nohrian, aren't you?" Corrin asked, puzzled.

"I am, milady." Bella smiled weakly. May as well be polite. "Belladonna Rocha, at your service. Or I would be, if I weren't a prisoner of sorts."

"A prisoner?" The white haired girl tilted her head quizzically. "Wait a moment- you were the woman at the border town…"

"Ah, you recognize me? Yes, I found your little party a bit suspicious. I was curious so I followed you and wound up getting trapped by the cliffs during the skirmish…" She shrugged. "It bit me, and whatever comes next, I'll just accept. All I have is information… And an axe, but Miss Rinkah has confiscated that.

Rinkah scowled. "...can barely even swing it…"

There was a sharp rap on the door, in a strange pattern.

"Gods… They're here already…?" The strange, pale noble girl stood.

Bella huffed and rose as well at Rinkah's nod, resting her fists on her hips.

"Yes. Time to go."

* * *

They were escorted across Hoshido. First, were low snowy mountains. It was much easier going though then the crags and bogs of Nohr. There, the small group of Hoshidan troops led them to a man with a short shock of dark green hair. He greeted the troops with a gesture, before approaching the white-haired girl directly.

"It's you…" She murmured, unsurprised. "Kaze, right?"

"Yes." Suddenly he knelt, surprising both the white-haired girl and Bella. "I'm glad we found you, Princess Corrin."

" _Princess?_ " Bella blurted, startled. Corrin rubbed her head, confused by Kaze's words, and embarrassed by Belladonna's startled reaction.

"But- there are only…" Bella mumbled, baffled. There had been rumors, but none of them substantial and all of them more-or-less impossible to prove. She shook her head. Princess Corrin. This was shaping up to be the weirdest week of her life.

Bella was, at this point, practically just being forced to tag along. Although she had to admit, she was glad nobody had their weapons actively pointed at her, as they marched her just behind Corrin, who was led by Kaze and Rinkah in silence. Although she did note a few of the troops kept hands on their weapons.

In all fairness, she was taller and broader than all of them. She could probably fight off at least one or two bare-handed, but she really would rather not.

Rinkah had passed Belladonna's axe to a hapless soldier who was looking quite uncomfortable carrying the thing. Honestly, Bella was mildly amused that they kept it to begin with. It was pretty fancy, now that the dirt had been washed away, so perhaps they thought it a waste not to hold onto.

She was going to get a chance to use it sooner than she expected.

* * *

"How'd I get myself into this…" Bella grumbled, marching behind Rinkah. She had been "volunteered" to prove that she was not malicious towards Hoshido. She would fight alongside Corrin, Rinkah, Kaze, and she still couldn't believe it  _The High Prince of Hoshido, Ryoma_. He was tall, almost as tall as she was, and she had to admit, it was fairly obvious just by looking at him that he was royalty. He was a bit stern, but he had offered Bella a chance to demonstrate her good intentions (or at least her lack of ill ones), and, not seeing many options, Bella had accepted the gracious offer.

Things were still really weird, however.

Also apparently Corrin was Hoshidan and had been kidnapped in her infancy? The idea was a bit wild- something out of a fairytale, but not necessarily impossible. Corrin seemed doubtful, but largely inclined to trust the Hoshidans, and Bella found that, while naive, Corrin seemed like a good person, so she decided to trust her. It wasn't like her opinion mattered.

Besides, Bella could catch on to the details later. Suddenly, Rinkah shoved her axe into her hands.

"Company." She growled, drawing her club.

"Faceless…" Bella spat, recognizing the large tracks in the dirt. She hated the wretched beasts. Loathed them. The lumbering Frankenstein's monsters, with only dark magic and hate driving them. There was no place in the world for abominations like those. She gripped her axe tight, searching the horizon for movement, ears peeled for the telltale growls and bellowing roars.

"Oh hell." She muttered. "There's a village ahead, isn't there?"

Kaze blinked. "...Yes?"

"That's where they'll be. The faceless are drawn towards two things. Dark, damp places… and life."

"...Oh no…"

They hurried, doubling their already swift pace. It wasn't long before the faceless were in view. Most of the villagers had been evacuated. Bella huffed, dragging her hand along the long handle of her battleaxe.

"Say the word. I'll tear them right in two…"

The Hoshidans exchanged a glance, startled by the bloodlust in Belladonna's voice.

"They're advancing on the village." Ryoma said, bluntly. "We need to cut them off, now."

Bella couldn't restrain herself. The Faceless would slaughter and destroy everything in the village, turning it into a ruin, killing everyone within. She needed to do what she could, or else more innocent blood would be spilled than she could stand.

The Hoshidan prince glanced at Bella, and started. Earlier, when he had first seen her, she had been passive and, for lack of a better word, docile. Now though, it was like a whole other person was inhabiting the woman.

"Go!" He ordered, sharply. "Protect the village and find my sisters!"

Bella charged. The first faceless she encountered was  _far_ bigger than her, certainly, and much stronger. But it wasn't nearly as quick as she could be. She effortlessly sidestepped a massive punch and whipped her axe down, cleaving the monster nearly in half, sending out a jet of its ink-dark blood. She wrenched her axe free of the Faceless and it burst into black magic smoke, its body beginning to disintegrate. Bella threw her head back with a war cry.

"Come!" She yelled, getting the Faceless' attention, luring them towards her and away from the village. "Come and face a  _real_ warrior! You want a bloodbath?!" She grinned viciously, running a hand over her axe. "...because here she is!"

"What the hell is that madwoman doing?" Rinkah growled, whirling her club as she rushed forward to deal a crippling blow to a monster's leg, laming it before finishing it with a fast strike to the head.

"Gods…" Kaze stared in shock. "She's absolutely gone berserk…"

Bella was however, not as mad as she seemed. In fact, most of her berserker act was that- an act. She grinned viciously as the Faceless lumbered towards her, moving at a slow, but steady lope. She backed off, letting them all advance, luring them away from the village.

"Come on, come on…" She grunted, trying to keep them far away so she wouldn't have to fight too many. Corrin and Ryoma were advancing towards a hill, and as Bella backstepped, she was joined by Kaze and Rinkah, who by now had caught on to her plan, and began harassing the pack, luring them away from the village and picking them off slowly.

"Ah, that's what she's doing." Kaze muttered dryly, hurling his shuriken out, further slowing and wounding the faceless.

"These things are stupid." Bella grunted, lashing out and felling one that had come too close. "I guess if someone controls them they're smarter, but…" The three fought hard, felling the foolish monsters one-by-one. Luckily, there weren't too many. It was a small pack that had simply wandered too close and noticed the village.

"We must get back to Lord Ryoma." Rinkah glanced over. There was a Sky knight fighting alongside them, but Corrin and Ryoma were outnumbered.

"Ugh…" Bella groaned. "This is turning pear-shaped already…" she swiftly dispatched a final faceless that had fallen when Kaze had wounded it's legs.

The three broke off from the fading pile of destroyed faceless, and Belladonna felt a prickle of pride. Maybe this would help the Hoshidans trust her more. She rushed in to help mop up the rest, and hopefully keep her on the good side of the people who held her life and freedom in their hands.

* * *

"But… The the Nohrians wouldn't send monsters to terrorize innocent people…" Corrin was aghast.

"Of course they would. They're pure evil." Hinoka, princess of Hoshido responded. Bella resisted a growl and just coughed uncomfortably. Hinoka winced a bit, a momentary look of guilt on her face, but it was gone fast, replaced with a steady glare.

Belladonna sighed. Better than nothing, she supposed.

"And who's this one? Your bodyguard, Corrin?" Hinoka studied Bella warily, but her curiosity overcame her obvious caution.

"No, she's…"

"Really unlucky?" Bella offered dryly. Corrin's expression wavered, clearly uncertain of how to react to that. "No, I only met Princess Corrin earlier today, milady… Well, more briefly before that but… I didn't even know she was a princess…" She shook her head. "I just have been… swept up?"

"Where does your loyalty stand?" The question was blunt, but the weight it carried was immense.

"...I haven't the slightest." She confessed weakly. "I've never felt loyal to Nohr, but I know nothing else. This-" She gestured to the slightly snowy hills. "...I've never seen anything like it." She sighed softly. "I'm at your mercy, sire." She admitted, bluntly, turning directly to Ryoma. "I've very little to offer you, and very little argument for anyone to trust me."

Ryoma stood, looking puzzled. It was odd, Bella thought, to be meeting someone who was just as tall as she. He was at a loss, and turned to his sisters.

"...Sakura? Hinoka? What do you two think?"

"Um, she… She seems… like a good person…" Sakura mumbled.

Hinoka shrugged. "I'll trust your judgement, big brother. She fights well, at least."

"Well, Belladonna," He turned to face her, expression kind, but stern. "I do not intend to have you harmed, of that you have my assurance. But you will be observed for the time being. You've made strides to prove your willingness to defend the villagers- that alone shows some strength of character. For now, I think I shall assign you as Corrin's guardian."

Bella bowed low. "T-thank you, milord." Relief flooded her. At least she wouldn't be locked up or outright executed...

* * *

_Hoshido is peaceful, in spite of occasional Faceless raids. This place is… It's a lot warmer than Nohr. Drier too. It's nice here._

_You actually get to see the sun on a regular basis._

_I've been given some Hoshidan clothes to wear for the time being, which is wise; I stick out like a sore thumb in that dress of mine. These aren't quite my taste, but they are rather nice and loose enough to fit me well. I'm adjusting nicely, but I feel kind of annoyed without my old notebooks. I hate to admit it but I think I was really enjoying running a town, back in Nohr. Running numbers isn't as thrilling as brokering information, but it was safer. And surprisingly calming._

_Lady Corrin is still reeling- not that I blame her. I can't imagine it- being raised by a family, and then learning you were born to another. At least all my family conflict has been very straightforward…_

_Poor girl. She's kind, but very naive. She must have been very sheltered._

_Queen Mikoto and Prince Ryoma have been kind to me, and Princess Sakura too. Lady Hinoka is… suspicious of me, but she isn't unkind... But I'm fairly sure Prince Takumi loathes both Lady Corrin and I. I don't like him, but for now I must put up with it. He can hate me all he likes, but it's still the by the grace of his family that I'm comfortable and have any degree of freedom..._

_Lady Azura is- well, she's mysterious. She doesn't say a lot. She seems… really sad._

_Still, it's not my business. Think I'll just keep my head down. I wish I had supplies to count again. At least that kept me occupied. Now though, I just follow Lady Corrin around. I have to admit, keeping track of something would be pretty nice. I never realized how calming organizing things could be._

_My nerves are all a bit fried, but things might actually get better soon. I hope. As long as Queen Mikoto is alive at least a full-blown war will not be able to break out. A small mercy._

_I wonder what's happening back in Nohr?_

* * *

The sudden explosion caused a massive shockwave that knocked Bella off her feet, bruising her, but leaving her mostly unhurt. She groaned, sitting upright and using her axe to heft herself to her feet. She squeaked in shock. Where Corrin had once stood, there was a dragon. With a violent roar, the beast rammed its head into the hooded assailant, slaying him instantly. The square was in chaos, and Bella stumbled to her feet. She still didn't know what had happened. She drew her axe sharply, swiftly blocking a blade and swatting the man holding it aside.

"What's going on?!" She shouted, making her way towards Ryoma, away from the rampaging dragon. "What- Is that thing  _Corrin_?!"

"The blood of dragons…" Ryoma said, face pale. "Corrin- All royalty of Hoshido and Nohr have it, but this…"

Bella stumbled, as Corrin reared up and slammed into the ground, turning on the figures that were now attacking. The dragon bellowed in rage, and charged, effortlessly tossing them about.

"She's going to be torn apart if she fights like that…!" Hinoka gasped, mounting her pegasus and spinning her naginata. "There's too many, even for a dragon!"

Bella groaned. "Oh this is just… Lovely." She cracked her shoulders and huffed, as the strange, cloaked attackers advanced. "Time to end this."

The battle was short and bloody. Bella wasn't as useful against these soldiers as she was the Faceless- she had fought off bandits before, but these men seemed trained and hardened. She still pulled her weight, but it was harder to handle a skilled swordsman than it was a lumbering, clumsy behemoth.

Belladonna Rocha was still a force to be reckoned with though- anyone who attempted to block or parry her axe swings were in for a nasty surprise, thanks to the sheer force behind her mighty swings. Swifter, more agile opponents gave her more trouble, and she had to be wary of anyone armed with magic or bows, but overall, her performance was serviceable. Nothing compared to the Hoshidan royal family however.

All that remained a problem was the wailing, feral dragon. She seemed panicked, out of control and afraid.

Bella felt her blood chill as it looked at her, and she stumbled back. "Oh Gods."

Corrin, fortunately, turned her gaze again, this time focusing on the advancing Azura. Bella felt herself tense, as the dragon hissed at the blue-haired songstress, uttering a menacing growl.

Bella watched, confused and concerned as Azura began to sing, causing the strange beast to hesitate, before suddenly, to Bella's horror, Corrin lashed out and knocked her to the ground, pinning her. It looked as if it were about to kill the girl, but Azura continued to sing, softly.

Corrin glowed, and the feral dragon began to shrink down, fading, until where a feral, raving dragon had loomed, was now a slender, gasping and shuddering girl. Bella heaved a sigh of relief, turning her gaze to the square. The relief was replaced with fear and worry. The place was ruined. Many innocent people were injured. Bella put up her blade, and began walking through the rubble, a feeling of helplessness in her gut.

She at times wished she could have been a healer. But alas, that hadn't been in the cards for her. For now, she contented herself with helping a young man whose mother had her leg pinned under some rubble. At least that was easy. The pair didn't speak to her, but they had a look of weak gratitude.

This was what war did, Bella realized grimly. She felt ill.

"Ugh…" She slumped against the destroyed fountain in the square. Now that the adrenaline had worn down, Bella was hit by a rush of exhaustion. She felt heavy, and tired.

Mikoto was dead, which meant the barrier had faded.

Which meant Nohr could invade Hoshido.

Which meant Nohr  _would_  invade Hoshido.

"Violence breeds violence…" She murmured, rubbing her head. "It only gets worse from here…"

* * *

Belladonna Rocha was many things. A warrior, a devious and quick thinker, secretly a bit of a romantic. But if there was one thing that she was not, it was patient.

And right now, Prince Takumi was testing her patience. It was only circumstance- and perhaps some slight pity that she felt for the boy, deprived of his mother so violently- that kept her in check- she could understand his anger and bitter vitriol. His mother had been brutally murdered, when she had shielded Corrin. Nohr must have been behind the attack, although Bella was still baffled as to how. Obviously he would be angry at Corrin; she would seem at least indirectly responsible. And his anger towards the nation of Nohr and King Garon specifically was even more justifiable.

But that didn't mean he had a reason to take out his anger on  _her_. It was subtle, but the sheer disdain he held for the woman was palpable. Bella found herself sticking closer to Corrin more often, because Takumi's sheer presence was enough to put her on edge. ( His retainer wasn't particularly helpful either- the vicious glares she sent were enough to put a chill down Bella's spine).

She repeated a quiet mantra to soothe her nerves.  _It's not his fault or mine._  She repeated the phrase to keep herself from letting anger take over. There was no point in letting his misdirected anger get to her. He was lashing out, and right now lashing back at him was just going to make it worse.

She trotted a short distance from Corrin, the ball of worry that had been growing in her gut becoming ever-more tumultuous. The Hoshidans were on the march to defend their land against Nohr. And this princess was right in the middle of it. The pale-haired girl looked utterly torn and conflicted- terrified.

"Princess…" She glanced at Corrin. "What are you going to do?"

"I…" Corrin looked aside, biting her lip. "I… I don't know… They- they're family. They all are. Even if its not blood…"

Bella nodded softly. "Mm. I don't feel good about this, no matter what happens." She admitted. "I should have stayed back in Nohr. I wouldn't have had to fight this…"

"Perhaps not." Corrin looked down. "But you know that you'd probably be involved… I'm just sorry it had to be so deeply."

"Heh." Bella chuckled softly. "I think the last thing you need to worry about is me, Princess. I'll be fine."

* * *

Bella realized that maybe she had spoken too soon.

Everything had gone to hell, with her, Corrin and Azura stuck right smack in the middle. Corrin had stood tall, and refused to take a side. Bella felt a sense of awe at the force of will the little princess had, but it had all begun to fall apart. It was their tiny group against two royal families- not just nobles but some of the most powerful fighters in both nations, as well as their guards.

And Bella just happened to be there. Right in the middle.

"You can still run, Bella…" Corrin said to her, sincerely, glancing around. "This isn't your fight."

She was tempted to. Sorely. But…

"...This is a bad option." She hefted her axe. "But so are the alternatives. Peace is your banner, little Princess? Well, count me in. I can't go back to Nohr, and I will never be accepted into Hoshido. So I'm with you."

Azura looked at the two armies that had them trapped. "We need to defeat Xander and Ryoma. It's the only way to get their attention long enough…"

"Oh, it's just that easy." Bella grumbled, as she readied her axe to strike down a hoshidan spearman who came too close. She never had the chance to swing though. He tumbled forward with a cry as a dagger thudded into his chest.

A good butler can do just about any kind of chore for their master or mistress perfectly, and so quickly that they still have time for leisure.

An  _excellent_ butler can do all that and also kill anyone who dared to raise their weapon against the one that they are sworn to serve.

"Ah, I'm so glad you're safe!" Bella recognized the man- he had been part of Corrin's escort in Nohr. "I'm here to help you, Milady."

"Jakob?!" Before Corrin could say another word, Jakob twirled a dagger from his belt and hurled it at another soldier who charged forward, felling him.

"I am a bit unclear as to which army we're fighting though." He said, casually retrieving the first blade he had thrown, cleaning it as he prepared to throw it again, waiting on Corrin's orders.

"Both of them." Bella uttered deadpan, as she spun her axe swiftly.

" _Both armies?!_  Oh dear." The four quickly formed a tight circle, ready. "I suppose it matters not. Lady Corrin, your enemies are my enemies."

* * *

Bella was alive, but she had a feeling that wasn't going to last. She had been doing well enough, and her massive strength made cutting down and batting foes aside relatively simple. But now she was faced to someone who she was no match for and she instantly knew it when she realized who it was that she was facing against.

Camilla. High Princess of Nohr.

Belladonna swallowed, keeping her axe raised, as the woman's wyvern hissed at her, its long tail lashing slowly. Camilla had a cool, easy smile, but behind it there was an intense anger. She urged her mount gently, and he advanced, teeth bared as Camilla casually ran her fingertips across her axe.

"No one is going to stand between me and my darling little sister." She said, voice eerily gentle and silky, drawing her arm back, axe in hand. "Die now."

The wyvern lunged as Camilla swung her axe, and Bella jerked her own axe up to block it. The powerful blow knocked her on her back and she rolled swiftly to evade the slashing claws and snapping teeth of the wyvern above her. She jerked away from another bite, swiftly butting the wyvern in the mouth with the blunt pole of the weapon, causing it to rear back and howl angrily. Camilla huffed, soothing the beast before casually turning back to Belladonna, axe held in an almost casual manner. Camilla drew her arm back, for another brutal swing.

Bella rolled, as the axe thudded into the ground next to her, so hard she felt the impact from where she managed to finally scrabble to her feet.

"God's above…" she panted, wondering how she was still alive. It seemed like Princess Camilla was holding back. Toying with her. Bella swiped her axe, not expecting much out of it, and indeed, the wyvern merely slithered back a bit. Strange how such a bulky creature could move so elegantly.

 _I'm gonna die._  Bella thought weakly, as the creature took to the air, circling to come in for a charge. She leapt aside, further propelled by a gust from the creatures wings as its powerful hind talons lashed out at her, barely missing.

Bella's adrenaline was running out. She was starting to flag and grow exhausted, as the wyvern spun in the air, this time aiming headfirst. What was it doing-?

Oh.

So apparently, wyverns breathing fire was  _not_ a rumor or legend, as she had been desperately hoping. It was in fact, very much reality.

A huge fireball was forming in its mouth. Bella had to move now or she was going to be cooked alive.

"Oh come on!" Bella groaned, tensing to leap aside again, when suddenly the wyvern leveled off, turning away.

"What the-?"

Corrin had managed to knock Xander from his horse. It was a strange sight- her free arm suddenly shifted, seeming to partially take on part of her dragon form- not entirely. It was a startling and frightening sight- her arm morphed and shifted into a long lance-like appendage. It had suddenly occurred while their blades clashed, and Xander had been caught totally by surprise, and been wounded. He stumbled back, retreating. The rest of the Nohr forces fell back, uncertain of what to do.

That only left Hoshido.

* * *

Camilla had been deadly, certainly, but at least Bella could try and actually fight back. Takumi was faster than Bella, and with the power of the Fujin Yumi, he could continuously fire at her without even hesitating- each magical arrow was as deadly as a real one, and taking a single hit would surely cripple her.

Again, she was outmatched, but perhaps not as starkly as before. If she could close the distance, or break his concentration to dissipate the Fujin Yumi's bowstring, then the tables would be turned. She wouldn't kill him, of course- that would defeat the purpose of all this- but she still needed to do her best to beat him.

"I knew we couldn't trust you, Nohrian scum!" He shouted, firing another arrow, which Bella quickly sidestepped. She had to keep on the approach and hope that he would stumble, but Takumi was nimble and much faster than her.

And he was much  _much_ angrier.

"Shut up already!" She barked, wincing as a stray shot hit her axehead with a loud  _ping_. "Honestly, you'd think a royal could carry himself better than  _you!_ " She charged suddenly, hoping to startle him. Takumi jolted, and for a moment nearly lost his footing. It was barely enough. She managed to close the distance just in time- a second later and he would have buried a shot into her chest.

Belladonna didn't bother with her axe, and went in with her fist, lunging and slamming her weight forward, hoping to knock him to the ground and safely disarm him long enough for Corrin to best Ryoma. She hoped Azura and Jakob were alright- she didn't know them, but any ally in a time like this was sorely needed. Takumi swayed out of the way, trying to recover his balance and re-summon the Fujin Yumi's bowstring, cursing.

Bella lurched sideways to throw him off further, using one hand to balance herself and the other to swing her axe's haft at his legs. She couldn't slow or else she'd be dead. Any advantage she got she had to press. She whipped forward, and with a flat, open-palmed strike sent him to the dirt. She heaved for breath, quickly kicking the Yumi from his hands, sending it several feet away.

Takumi leapt to his feet, drawing a long knife from his belt, snarling angrily, backing off.

 _Oh hell._ Bella backed away similarly. She could tell from his stance that while he wasn't nearly as skilled with the short blade as he was the bow, he knew what he was doing.

"Leave me be, Prince." She barked, keeping her axe ready. "I'm not in the mood for any more killing."

"You-!" Takumi bristled, rage in his eyes, but then they flickered upwards.

His shifting gaze made Bella pause, then dive. Hinoka suddenly swooped in, picking up her brother. Bella whined.

"How do people fight these?" She groaned, as the Sky knight wheeled in the sky.

"You're not alone this time." Azura rushed to Bella's side, Naginata at the ready. "We just need to distract them. Jakob is helping Corrin."

"Well…" Bella huffed. "I'm afraid… I'm not much use… here…" She groaned, seeing Hinoka turn to face them, Takumi riding with her. "Any ideas…?"

Azura was pale, but her face was resolute. "We need to get away for now. The Nohrian's are already regrouping. If they come in again, then we'll be doomed…"

"Right…" Bella grunted, tensing. "Oh jeez-" She dropped flat, just as Hinoka charged, swiping her Naginata. "Agh, I couldn't even stand much chance just fighting  _one_ of them…"

But luckily, at that point, from the way Hinoka jerked her pegasus, it seemed that Corrin had bested Ryoma. Swiftly, Bella and Azura retreated, joining the young Princess and her manservant, ready in case either force chose to charge. Both sides had been holding back- neither wanted to risk killing Corrin, in case they could get her back.

"Well, we're trapped between two armies." Bella remarked sardonically. "At least we'll make an interesting story."

* * *

Somehow they escaped. Perhaps it was deliberate. Neither Xander nor Ryoma sent their forces to charge. Both of them had been furious, but not quite furious enough to slaughter their little sister.

Bella just wanted a moment- even the smallest moment to rest.

But she didn't quite expect that moment to come in the form of a tiny blue dragon and the power she held…

* * *

_So, Nohr and Hoshido are at war. And I somehow have wound up an enemy of both sides? Oof. Well, on the bright side this "Astral Plane" is a good base of operations. We're not exactly in a good position. There's only four of us. Princess Corrin, her butler, Jakob, Azura, and myself. We're all armed at least- I've still got my axe which only needed a little sharpening thankfully- and Jakob has a decent stash of knives. There's food here, too. A small pond full of fish, and a peach tree. It isn't much, but it's passable for now._

_Gods, I'm already going back to keeping track of supplies. I was only running that town for a few weeks and it's already impacted me quite a lot._

_Lady Corrin has put me in charge of supplies because of it. We don't have an army or anything, but if we did I suppose that would make me the Quartermaster?_

_...We need to find some more people, but first, Azura says she needs to take us somewhere. We're heading out tomorrow, once we get some rest. It's been an exhausting day. Hopefully I'll be able to sleep._

_Note to self- find a way to deal with fliers and other mounted units, before I get myself killed by one._

_Well, things can't get much worse, right?_

_Belladonna Rocha, Quartermaster_

_(I don't particularly care if it's unofficial, I just happen to be a bit fond of that title.)_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boy, this is longer than usual. Hope you enjoyed it, anyway.


	3. Deep Down

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So obviously some things are a little different in this story than in the game proper, but I think it fits fine. I love expanding upon certain things, and I think it's pretty clear that's been happening. This chapter will have some brief adventuring, before Bella starts doing real quartermaster work. To be fair, when you have an army of four people, there's very little to organize. But first, plot! And Bella revealing some more of her… Uh... eccentricities.

Belladonna awoke in a bed, which was nice. Most soldiers had to make do with tents on the ground, but the castle in the Astral Plane was spacious and furnished, and thanks to Lilith's power, and the power of the dragon veins all throughout, it could be grown and changed as it was needed. She sat up and stretched, yawning. She slung herself from the bed, and stretched.

This place was nice. Cozy. Nothing special, but perfectly serviceable. She wandered outside, noting that she was the second one awake. Jakob was already up, making tea, presumably for Corrin.

"Diligent, aren't we?" She complimented him, as she passed. "I don't think I've seen people get up before me since I was a little girl."

Jakob raised a brow, examining her. "A good servant must always prepare the day before his or her liege rises."

"Perhaps so. I rarely get involved with the  _good_  servants. Just the talkative ones."

"Yes, so I've heard, Madame Rocha."

Bella jolted. "Oh, uh. You've heard of me then."

"Yes." Jakob's voice was flat as a knife, and Bella couldn't tell if it was hostility or just him being blunt and unfriendly by nature.

"Ah… Well, rest assured, I've left those days behind me… I have no intentions of wriggling scandal out of Lady Corrin."

"I should hope not." Jakob seemed to relax slightly, although his blunt tone remained. A little of both then.

"Although I can't imagine that sweet young lady would have much scandal to her name, aside from her very existence." Belladonna chuckled. "A princess, born of Hoshido, raised in Nohr, siding with neither… That would have earned me a fortune when I was still a broker. Although after that debacle, I imagine the cat's out of the bag, now."

"Broker is one term. Sensationalist and rumormonger are the ones that I would prefer."

"To each their own." Bella shrugged. "It was a living. Quite a nice one, in fact. I didn't spread rumors and sensation, incidentally. I just sold people facts. Facts some people preferred to remain unsold, of course, but facts nonetheless."

"So what happened?" Jakob smirked.

"I trod on someone's feet and got shipped off to run a backwater middle-of-nowhere town. It was a blessing in disguise, though. I've always been good at keeping organized, but never got much chance to use it. I... rather enjoyed it, now that I think about it. I was too busy to realize..."

"Hmm." Jakob's smirk became a frown once more. Belladonna didn't pay it any mind, and just shrugged it off. "I suppose your past transgressions can be ignored, so long as you intend no harm towards milady. But I will be watching you, nonetheless."

"Duly noted. I won't be harming Corrin, though." She shook her head. "I like her. She's naive, but very kind."

Jakob softened, for a half moment. "...She very much is that."

* * *

Bella groaned. Back at the Bottomless Canyon, it seemed. At least this time, hopefully Corrin wouldn't be using the Dragon Veins to turn cliffs into bridges.

"Not far from where I almost got buried." She noted, amused. "Was awfully kind of Rinkah to dig me out of the rubble. Hope I get a chance to thank her again."

Nobody seemed to know how to react, and Bella huffed a little.  _These people are too serious._

"Azura…" Corrin looked at the blue-haired woman cautiously. "You don't mean for us to hide from Nohr and Hoshido here, do you?"

"That's exactly what I mean. We'll jump into the canyon."

_"What?!"_

_"Wait just a minute!"_

Jakob and Bella shouted in unison, startled by the plainly uttered madness.

"If we jump from here, we'll all die." Jakob, impressively, managed to keep his cool, though his face was strained with sock. Bella picked up a good sized stone and dropped it, watching it tumble into the abyss below her, shying away from the edge.

"Mm, I do hate to say it Princess, but that- that certainly does look bottomless. I mean sure no one will find us…"

"But we'll be ghosts." Jakob finished.

"Don't worry." Azura gently shook her head, expression sincere, and stern. "You won't die, if you jump. You need to trust me."

"Azura…" Corrin bit her lip warily. "...You'll tell us more after we jump?"

"Oh gods she's serious." Bella whispered.

"If that is what you wish, yes." Azura ignored Belladonna for the moment, staring into the canyon.

"Then we have no choice."

"A-are you certain about this milady?" Jakob's composure was finally shaken, and he wrung his hands behind his back.

"I… I trust Azura." Corrin said, firmly.

" _Has the world gone mad?_ " Bella's voice was a bit shrill. "Oh my god they're doing it aren't they?"

"...If my mistress is going, then I'll need to find the courage…"

"You too? Ah... what have I got to lose? Other than my life… and all the worldly pleasures that come with it…"

One by one, they leapt from the bridge.

And promptly fell to their deaths.

* * *

No that didn't actually happen. Bella was almost certain it  _would_ , until she awoke in a rather cozy, grassy plain. With… islands floating in the sky above her.

"...Huh. I _must_  be dead." She remarked. "It's not too bad. The weather is quite pleasant."

"I assure you, you are not dead." Azura looked down at Bella, standing over her with the same bland expression as usual.

"No, but a woman can dream, can't she?" Bella sighed, sitting up. "...So, this is… inside the canyon? "

"In a sense." Azura glanced at Corrin, who was already up, along with Jakob.

Bella huffed. "Well, I suppose this is something to file away under "Think about the mechanics of this more later"... What is this place?"

Azura watched as Bella pushed herself to her feet, eyes low.

"This," She uttered, as though it were the most normal thing in the world, "Is the kingdom of Valla."

* * *

A kingdom hidden in another world. It would have sounded like madness, but Bella  _had_  heard similar tales, ones that were nearly as outlandish- tales of mysterious Outrealms where strange new worlds existed. Time and space bending and forming their own rules... Things not going exactly the way they normally did, warped and altered by magical means.

Plus, she'd just spent the night sleeping in an Astral Plane, so questioning the logic behind this felt a bit hypocritical at this point.

Valla was beautiful, in a strange apocalyptic sort of way. It felt hollow, and lifeless. A place that had been cruelly ruined due to... wrath? Hubris? She didn't know. Bella would have written her thoughts about it in her diary, but Azura had uttered a dire warning- one that was not something that she could disregard easily. Speaking of Valla or even simply communicating its existence while outside of it would cause her to dissolve to nothing.

That was pretty good motivation to quell her pen hand. For now, she silently followed Azura and Corrin, hand loosely wrapped around her axe as she carried it over her shoulder.

She glanced to one side, then blinked. Was there someone moving off to the side, there?

"...We're being watched." She said softly. "Someone's following us. I don't think they're particularly friendly."

They were approaching a tunnel of some kind. Azura glanced back in the direction Bella was looking. "...Vallite soldiers. We aren't welcome here. Anankos may know of our presence already."

"Then we must fight." Corrin looked disappointed, but readied the Yato, glancing about as they entered the caves.

"Possibly." Azura held her naginata similarly. "There will be more ahead."

"We should stay close." Jakob advised. "These tunnels look as though they might be rather maze-like."

* * *

It wasn't long before they were attacked. The strange figures who assaulted them were… difficult to describe. Bella  _could_  see them, but they were shimmery and semi-transparent. It was hard to focus on them at first, but she quickly got the hang of spotting them, and would swiftly bull down and slay the silent soldiers as they attacked. It was tough- she had to hold her axe close to the head so she didn't risk harming her allies in the tight space. Without being able to swing it as wide as she normally would, it made things harder for her to manage

It was rough going. Bella had some shallow cuts on her, but fortunately, whenever they got a moment, Jakob could use his staff to heal their wounds.

"I need to get some armor." She grumbled, glancing at the cuts in her clothing with a sigh. The stave could mend flesh but not clothes. She was only mediocre at sewing. At least this wasn't her fancy Nohrian dress. That was hanging up to dry in the Astral Plane. Still, she rather liked the plain Hoshidan outfit as well.

"It does serve one well." Jakob adjusted his suit slightly, so Bella could see the chain armor he wore beneath it. It was similar to the metal gauntlets he wore, but much thinner and lighter.

"Might be hard to get, considering our position." She snorted, shaking her head. "Ah well. Least it's quiet for the moment. It should give us a moment to catch our breath."

Bella looked around warily. For the moment, the strange, shimmery Vallites were nowhere to be seen. Something was echoing through the caves, however. Hoofsteps and metal clanking, getting closer. An armored knight on a horse. Bella tensed, but was surprised when they didn't meet a shadowy hostile soldier, but a very large and very visible Nohrian man.

"Gunter?" Corrin gasped, delighted.

* * *

The knight and his horse had both survived in Valla for quite some time now, and were a great boon for the small group in escaping the caverns. He could quickly run down the unmounted Vallites before they knew what hit them. Bella didn't really know what was happening anymore- only that they needed to escape and return to the surface world.

In all honesty, she still wasn't sure how Azura led them out; some kind of portal that led back to the bottomless canyon. Either way, upon being ejected from it, she stumbled and nearly fell on her face.

"Oof!" She grunted, straightening. "Glad that's all sorted… Never thought I'd be so happy to see the grey skies again."

Gunter dismounted his horse, taking it by the reins. The large war horse was clearly worn out from the battle; it was likely that Gunter had been fighting and running from the invisible soldiers for days on end. If that was the case, she had to admit she was impressed; a man of his age fighting as powerfully as he did…

Well, any ally was an invaluable one at this point…

* * *

_This Astral Plane is good for certain aspects of running a military, but unfortunately, not enough of them. Lilith, Corrin and Azura have been tapping into the Dragon Veins below us, but there's only so much they can do. We have some storage buildings and some barracks, but no soldiers to fill them._

_We actually do have a fair bit of gold though. Azura and Corrin had the presence of mind to bring a fair bit with them, and we'll likely… Appropriate some from enemy forces. Same goes for weapons and the like. Gunter is quite knowledgeable about weapon care, and we found some good material for some whetstones to sharpen weaponry without overdoing it. The Yato doesn't need sharpening, but my axe certainly appreciated some time at a grindstone. It was getting rather dull._

_We're too small right now to worry about a lot of this, but it never hurts to be prepared. If we get lucky, someone will join up with us. Preferably a good number of people. Our little ragtag band needs numbers, if we're going to even get close enough to convince Nohr and Hoshido to help us._

_The biggest problem will be supply. Where the hell can we go to get weapons? It's not like there are any merchants out there who aren't with Hoshido or Nohr…_

_We're heading into Hoshido first- to find a fort, according to Azura. It's a bit of a shame. If we were in Nohr, I could contact my information network. They would be really helpful right now…_

_Well, make do with what we have. And what we have is_ five people.

_I hope we find some more, and soon. We could_ _absolutely use some more hands to keep us going._

* * *

Bella grunted as she ripped her axe out of another Faceless. There had to be someone alive here. Even with the village ruined and the farms destroyed, surely  _someone_ had escape. The small band fought their way into the woods nearby. Bella and Gunter were at the front, with Gunter rushing in on his horse, while Bella bulled through the Faceless with her axe.

"Go back to the abyss." She grunted, as she heaved her axe, viciously hacking into another. There were a lot more of them here than there were back at the other village she had battled at.

"There's someone in the woods!" Corrin gasped. "We must help them!"

Gunter shifted and lunged, spearing a Faceless, scowling as it crumbled to dust. "They will be pinned down if we do not lend aid."

Azura's naginata twirled, lashing out and slaying one that lumbered forward, sidestepping it and flinching as it hit the ground with a heavy thud. "We must hurry."

They rushed to defend the girl, who had stumbled in the small copse of trees, attempting to avoid the murderous beasts. Bella quickly helped the girl to her feet. "Be careful lass. Stick close to us."

The girl gritted her teeth, holding her makeshift spear close- it was a dagger, tightly bound to a long pole. It would do, now that she had aid. "No! I have to fight! For Mother! For all my friends! For everything those monsters took from me!"

Bella grunted. "Then go for the legs. See if you can't knock them over."

The small hoshidan girl nodded rapidly, and began doing just that. Her spear wasn't very sturdy or powerful, but it was much longer than Gunter's lance or Azura's naginata, so she was able to jab at the Faceless, taking out their legs.

It made the job a lot easier. Leaderless faceless, being as mindless as they were, would simply run right into the spear, or if they missed the dagger, they would stumble over the wooden pole, making them easy pickings. Yato flashed and spun.

Corrin was  _really_ nimble, Bella noted in awe, as the princess dashed and flipped among the Faceless.

"Whoa." She murmured, at a particularly acrobatic leap. "She puts her size to marvelous use, doesn't she?"

Jakob nodded, using his staff to heal a nasty cut on the young villager girl's leg. "Lady Corrin was trained all her life. She was never very powerful, so Lord Xander focused her training upon her agility instead."

"I suppose in Nohr, being nobility means you really do  _have_ to learn to fight..." Bella grunted, as she snapped her axe into a downed Faceless, satisfied as it crumbled to dust.

* * *

The fight was short, and mostly bloodless. A few scratches and bruises, but nothing major. The young villager girl showed a surprising amount of aptitude for her weapon, even managing to take down a Faceless without aid from anyone.

Things finally went quiet. Jakob was retrieving his throwing knives and cleaning them, in a manner that was disturbingly casual, as he rubbed them with a handkerchief. "That takes care of the last of them." He commented, as he took a moment to stab a still-dirty blade into a nearly-dead Faceless, finishing it off. "...Ah." He winced, as inky black fluid oozed out onto his sleeve. "...how irksome."

The villager girl looked hollow. Her face shone with relief, but more than that, despair.

"What do I do…? They took my mother… my life…" She shuddered, fighting back tears. Corrin flinched. The Princess looked almost as devastated as the unfortunate villager in front of her.

"You… must have some family near here. We'd be glad to take you there."

"There's no one… Even if there was…" She gestured to the ruined fields. "...It's all destroyed… Everyone I knew… Every home… a grave…" Slowly, she scrubbed a sleeve over her eyes.

"Listen, we…" Corrin took a breath. "We'll take you in for now, until we find a safe place. We can't replace what you've lost, but we'll take care of you. We're bound by a dangerous cause. Going from one battle to the next… That's no life for you."

She shook her head. "I'm not afraid." The villager looked up, determination tempering the sorrow in her eyes. "I want to join your cause, whatever it is. I can help. I might even save you or your friends."

Bella chuckled softly. "She's got some strong arms and a stronger spirit. I would have to say having her would be wonderful right now."

Corrin laughed softly. "Yes, it seems so. I have to admit, she sounds more sure than I am."

The girl nodded firmly. "I'll do my best. And I'll stay safe. After all, mother is watching over me now."

"Well, I think that's settled then... But I think it would be best if we were to get moving…" Bella glanced about.

Gunter nodded in agreement "...I hate to say it, but we have no time to give these people a proper burial…"

Reluctantly, the group, one larger, began to march.

Bella shouldered her axe. "What's your name, lass? Might as well get to know one another."

"Mozu." The small Hoshidan nodded. "My name is Mozu."

* * *

_Having Mozu with us has given us a boon that we will definitely make use of- and that boon is her knowledge of farming. As much as I know, farming is not one of those. She's teaching us, now, so we can at least get a small garden going. Rice and wheat. It isn't much, but having an extra food source will definitely be good for us in the future._

_Fort Jinya is ahead. We march on it tomorrow. Hopefully Corrin can handle things peacefully. I'm just not sure how._

* * *

Bella looked up from her journal to see Mozu standing nervously in the room, looking about. It was a sort of small antechamber next to the storage rooms- where extra food, gold, weapons, and other supplies would be kept. The rooms were woefully bare, but it wasn't too concerning.

"Um…" Mozu awkwardly clasped her hands for a moment.

Bella offered a casual smile. "What is it, Mozu? Don't worry, I might be Nohrian but I won't bite." She winked. "Too hard."

Mozu blinked, then cracked a weak smile. "It's just, do you know if there are any proper weapons here? I looked in the other room and there wasn't very much."

"Ah, yes." Bella stood. "I was just thinking about that, actually. That little tool you made is decent for a bit of self-defense, but a smarter opponent probably wouldn't care much for it, mm?" She led Mozu to the small armory, examining the few spears that the group had managed to recover. Eventually, Bella found one that was less battered than the rest. It was bronze, with a sharp tip.

"Try this one." She offered, handing it to Mozu. The girl took it and gave it a few experimental jabs. It was a little heavy, but she soon compensated for the weight.

"It's perfect." She nodded. "Mr. Gunter has been showing me how to use a spear a little. He says he'll show me more, later, but that I should practice with a real one in the meantime."

"Good plan." Bella nodded. "We ought to cut some training dummies, if we can. It would benefit us. I mean, I use more strength than finesse, but a little practice never hurt."

"Um, for now, I can just jab the air…" Mozu giggled. "I had better do it outside. Thank you Lady Bella."

"Lady?" Belladonna tilted her head, puzzled. Mozu blushed.

"Oh! You mean, um, you aren't a noble?"

"Ah, gracious no. I am a bit wealthy…  _Was_  a bit wealthy… my nest egg is still back in the village... But I'm not a noble by any means. I was born in a little village up in the far northern parts of Nohr. The  _really_ cold parts.

"Oh." Mozu glanced down, embarrassed. "Beggin' your pardon, It's just, that Nohr dress you have and the way you talk…"

"Oh, that." Bella chuckled. "I just like fancy clothing and fancy words. I'm still not very good at the fancy words part. I slip back and forth, you see. I simply tried to emulate some of the wealthier people's ways of speaking. It didn't always work, but it did give me an air of class when  _actually_ dealing with nobility. It made my life easier."

"Oh." Mozu blinked. "Well, is just "Bella" fine?"

"Of course. So long as it's polite, I don't care what people call me." Bella nodded. "Bella, Belle, Belladonna…" She chuckled. "Belladonna's a bit of a mouthful though."

"Belladonna… isn't that a flower?" Mozu mused, as she wandered out.

"Yes but don't go assuming I'm delicate like one!" Bella called after her with a grin, as she returned to her room to jot down some more final notes.

It would be a long day tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You ever stay up all night long working on something? I have! I started around 9PM or so, took a 1-hour break, then went back until like 6AM.
> 
> So if there are any errors, kindly tell me so my sleep-deprived ass can fix them.
> 
> Thanks! Hope you all enjoyed. Since there will be more than six people next chapter, we'll have more of what I actually want here.
> 
> Anyway, goodnight everybody!


	4. Bound For Trouble

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Way-la-ho~!
> 
> That doesn't really mean anything I just like how it sounds when you say it out-loud.
> 
> Prepare for some slightly inconsistent and directionless rambling ahead:
> 
> I was going for something totally different than when I wrote my first story; while I think the other quartermaster story had a pretty weak start, this one is going to go much stronger. And while some elements of the plot might be fixable, I think Fates has a plot that's… Fine.
> 
> It does makes some mistepps, ones that felt sort of unnecessary. I won't get to them too much this chapter but a few things I wasn't too fond of will begin to crop up and I'll be changing stuff here and there. As for planning and doing actual quartermaster stuff, I do hope to touch on that aspect a little more. The first story was kind of an experiment to see if I could do it. This one will be longer and probably more intensive. Although as for pairings I'm not sure. Aurora and Belladonna are very different characters in that regard. Aurora is a semi-closeted lesbian in a world where that's not common, and she's kind of insecure about it, and she shows that by getting extra-defensive when romance is brought up.
> 
> I won't say much about Bella and romantic stuff- I might consider that, but I think it will be with a canon character, since Fire Emblem has too many people to keep track of as is. This is mostly a light-hearted story though, so don't be too surprised.
> 
> Anyway, sorry for the really long babbling. Let's begin, shall we?

Belladonna had always admired strength. While physical prowess was second to personality and intelligence, she had to admit she was fond of strong men and women, and had always strove to be one of them. In her home village, when she wasn't studying, she was hauling heavy things for the local farmers, or hauling stone and wood for building. She put her impressive size to good use, and grew stronger and tougher as a result.

It certainly wasn't doing the poor Hoshidans at fort Jinya any favors, however. She currently had a poor young recruit pinned against the wall with one arm, while he thrashed in a panic.

"You'd think they noticed we're not trying to kill anyone by now." She sighed, delivering a swift cuff to the side of his head, knocking him out cold. Taking them alive was easier said than done with such small numbers, but Fort Jinya was only guarded by a very light garrison. However, there were a few who would provide a much greater challenge than the rank-and-file: Ryoma's retainer, Saizo, and the late Queen Mikoto's retainer, Orochi. Not to mention Yukimura and his frankly bizarre puppet.

Actually, Saizo was running Bella ragged at this point. The ninja would suddenly appear as if from nowhere and hurl shuriken and darts, littering the ground with caltrops as he did so, making it slow going. Worse, Bella, in her haste to evade the flurries of attacks and incapacitate as many recruits as she could, had been cut off from the others. She squeaked as she hopped back, nearly stepping on one of the many barbs that Saizo had dropped. One misstep could end the whole battle for her. Worse, it seemed the shuriken he used were poisoned; she could see a strange chemical shimmer on them where they sank into the floors and walls. It probably wouldn't be a fatal dose, but a scratch would make the going much harder. Poison could do so much more than kill.

"Come on, Rocha, think…" She murmured to herself, as she scanned the room, desperately trying to find the ninja before he attacked again. She blinked, catching sight of movement and lunging, slamming her axe-hilt, butting it toward the motion, but ended up only striking into empty air. Missed.

"Gah…" She groaned. "Certainly not my afternoon, is it?" She quickly ducked behind a corner, just in time. She had seen the flash of metal before Saizo threw it, this time. Several shuriken were buried into the floor where she had stood.

"How many of those do you have?!" She snarled, as she lashed out with the metal pole of her axe, finally catching sight of Saizo. It was only a matter of time; there were only so many places to hide in this room. Now just came the hard part; catching him. She stumbled a bit to evade the caltrops he scattered, only to hiss as something lashed past her arm, painfully. A single bright-red cut shone where the shuriken had slashed her shoulder as it spun past, only grazing her, but enough to suddenly feel a wave of sluggishness.

"Ah…" she stumbled, backing away, feeling her limbs growing heavy. Even her vision swam slightly, as she missed a step, landing on her knees, using her axe to balance herself to keep herself from fully hitting the floor, trying to clear her head.

"You've breathed your last." Saizo uttered as he approached, the deadly bladed shuriken held between two fingers, moving to press the blade into her.

Suddenly, Bella's mind cleared. The floor beneath her was glowing faintly. Saizo glanced down, surprised.

"What?"

Bella knew what. The Dragon Vein.

Before he could do anything further, Bella's hands powerfully wrapped around his wrist.

"Oh-"

He didn't get the next words out, but they most likely were not going to be "dear me". Bella stood and slammed her head into his stomach, sending the ninja sprawling as she twisted his arm violently. There was an unpleasant  _crack_ of bone, and Saizo scrambled back, managing to free himself from her, clutching his limp wrist as he retreated. Bella glanced over at Azura, who slowly rose, still glowing faintly from when she had harnessed the Dragon Vein in the ground.

"Those are handy…" Bella grunted, pushing herself upright with a smile. "Thank you, Lady Azura. Patched up my arm and purged the poison all in one go… These Veins are really a marvel."

Azura nodded, looking concerned, as the others caught up.

"Yukimura is ahead." She cautioned. "Saizo may be wounded, but he'll still be dangerous, and Orochi…"

"Magic, right? Scrolls." Bella bit her lip nervously. "I must be honest, I've no idea how to handle magic and the like."

"Be cautious." Gunter advanced carefully. "Even the weakest of magics can be dangerous."

Bella carefully peeked around the corner. "...Yeek!" She jerked back, as a knife shot across the space where her face had been. "Okay! Not doing that again! So that's what those puppet things do."

"Yukimura has always been a master at making strange devices." Azura tightened her grip on her weapon. "It's going to be difficult, but we need to subdue him or else we shall never be able to speak with him."

Corrin glanced at the Dragonstone she wore, considering it. She would be a much bigger target, but it would be difficult for the knives to pierce her scales. But that would also leave her vulnerable to Orochi's magic.

"We'll have to try something." She sighed, wrapping her fingers around the stone. It flashed, and where Corrin once stood was a mighty dragon. "Someone's going to have to stop Orochi though, or else I won't stand a chance."

"Maybe we can go in pairs?" Bella offered. "If we do that we might be able to outmaneuver them."

"Hm." Gunter nodded. "That would be wise. Saizo is wounded, you say?"

Bella nodded. "Yeah. I may have broken his arm. He still has full use of his other one though, so remain cautious."

The soldiers grouped together, ready to rush. It was all or nothing. Bella had Mozu at her side. "I suppose we'll go after Orochi…"

"Jakob, with me." Gunter said. "Lady Corrin in her dragon form is more than a match for the puppet and its rider on her own."

Jakob scowled, but from Corrin's nod, stood by his side, readying his blades. "Then we shall be subduing Saizo… Are we ready?"

"Ready!" Corrin pawed at the ground.

"Now!" Gunter spurred his horse, and Corrin lunged. A shuriken and knife swiftly were deflected off of solid scales and metal plate. Quickly, Mozu and Bella rushed towards Orochi, before she could ready a spell. The Diviner jumped back in surprise, hands moving, scroll glowing with power.

Bella jumped, startled as a ghostly image of an ox bulled forward, swinging its horns from side to side. Mozu leapt the other way, as the spirit faded. Quickly, Mozu and Bella moved in to flank Orochi. With Saizo forced to back away from the vicious lance-butts from Gunter, and Yukimura trying to manipulate his strange mount to move away from Corrin's crushing paws, Orochi was in a bit of a bind. Swiftly, Mozu swung the butt-end of her spear, tripping the woman. Bella quickly jerked down and scooped her up, holding her in the air, arms pinned to her sides.

"Let… go!" She struggled wildly, and Bella grunted, gripping her tightly in a relentless bear hug.

"Nope!" She grinned, but it was strained. "Not a chance!"

Mozu blinked, trying to bite back amusement, as she turned. Gunter and Jakob had disarmed and backed Saizo against a wall, and Corrin in her dragon form had Yukimura lightly pinned, his puppet sprawled to the side.

"Hate to say it, ma'am, but it would seem we won. Didn't have to kill a soul, either." Bella chuckled, though she kept her grip on the struggling Orochi. "Listen, miss, I'd rather not have to throw you like a ragdoll, so if you'd kindly stop kicking me in the shin we can sort this out with words and not weapons…

"Or you could just start kicking me harder…"

Bella sighed. "Look, if I put you down will you kindly  _stop that?!_ "

* * *

_Well, we have some more allies. Four more, and one of them is another Princess!_

_Lady Sakura and her retainers joined us, after Sakura and the ninja Corrin saved, Kaze, managed to convince Yukimura and the others to stand down. Then Sakura's retainers… Subaki and Hana. They're a little wary of us (surprise, surprise) but willing to follow Lady Corrin. Well, Sakura. Lady Corrin by extension…_

_It's nice to have some more hands to help, but having them hasn't solved our problems… More people to fight also means more bodies to armor and mouths to feed. More hands to fill with swords._

_And a pegasus now. They eat even more than horses do. We've plenty of fresh, clean water, but food is a mild problem. There isn't much clean grass here, and Pegasi are a bit picky, according to Subaki._

_He gets on my nerves a little, but I'm hardly the humblest woman around so I'll let his ego slide for now._

_We "found" some gold in Fort Jinya that could be spared, and Sakura has plenty of money that she was willing to add to our treasury, but… Well, we don't have anyone to buy it from._

_We really need a supplier._

_Six becomes ten. We might actually accomplish something at this rate. We have a Hoshidan Princess aiding us, after all. More might join the cause with her supporting us..._

* * *

Bella left her journal in the sun to let the ink dry, as she stood, walking to the weapons mounted on the wall. There were only a few, and even fewer that weren't dented and scratched up from use.

"Tsk." She picked up a battered katana, testing the blade on her fingers. "Far too dull… Have to see if we can't use it for scrap metal…"

"Ah, gosh… That looks pretty bad!" Bella kinked her head to see Hana, frowning. She was still wearing her lacquer armor. Bella sorely would like a chance to get a look at some of that kind of armor. While not as sturdy as metal, it was still tough and light- and flexible too.

"Mhm!" Bella agreed, distracting herself from the armor. "It's fortunate that we're able to get what we can, but with Princess Sakura, I have a feeling we may be getting more support, soon." She sighed. "Which means supplying weapons is going to be tricky. Taking weaponry from those defeated is one thing, but it's not exactly sustainable." She gestured at the battered sword in her hand. "I mean, it only takes one unfortunate battle to wind up like this."

"I think that one's beyond repair." Hana nodded, unhappily. "Although, hmm, I think you could salvage the other katana."

"I'm afraid I'm a bit out of my depth with Hoshidan weapons." Bella admitted. "Fortunately, the methods for maintaining them do not seem so different from Nohrian weapons…"

"At least you know what you're doing." Hana's face was a bit grim, but relieved. "I was a bit concerned about putting my life in the hands of a Nohrian, but I guess this won't be too bad."

"I strive to do my job well, no matter what it is and who it involves." Bella smiled, but it twitched faintly. "...Usually. I've only made one exception, and my then-employer was a bit of a bad apple."

"Huh, you weren't always a quartermaster?"

"Of course not!" Bella laughed. "It's rare that anyone in Nohr keeps one occupation their whole life if they aren't a priest, farmer, soldier or outlaw. I was born in a cold little village that kept rams."

"Rams?" Hana raised an eyebrow. "You mean like sheep?"

"Kind of." Bella chuckled. "These ones were huge, though, with big curly horns, not like the ones you find in lowland Nohr… Oh, and Goats, too. But big mountain goats."

"Whoa. No wonder you look so tough."

"Hm?"

"Well, um!" Hana shrugged. "You're like twice my size and swing that axe around like it's nothing."

"Oh!" Bella chuckled. "Well, honestly I was always on the larger side. I'm taller than both my parents." She shrugged. "I guess come to think of it, whenever a goat or ram got too rowdy, I would be the one who had to wrangle the thing…"

"And here I thought you grew up in some fancy place…"

"Is it the clothes? Or how I talk?" Bella winked. "No that was education and an enamorment with fancier things."

"Hm."

"I'm a lot more jaded now, regarding nobility, but I do enjoy fancy words and clothes."

"I don't really get it, but I guess whatever works for you." Hana tossed her hands up, somewhere between puzzled and perhaps a little annoyed. "Anyway… as long as we're here, what the heck got someone like  _you_ in all of this? Shouldn't you have run back home by now?"

"Being overly curious, a bit foolish, and panicking… But basically I just realized I wouldn't be safe anywhere… and I appreciate Lady Corrin's ideals, if not her methodology. She's not experienced and our numbers are too small to save us the way she wishes to."

"Well, I guess there's a way we can help!" Hana grinned. "And that's by getting stronger! Where's the practice weapons at? I'm not gonna fall behind!"

"Uh." Bella blanched. "We don't have any yet. Started to carve some out of wood, but none that are close to finished. You could use some sticks I guess."

"That's no good." Hana scowled, but brightened when she saw the practice weapons. "Oh, that's not so bad… It only should take a few hours to bang them into proper shape!"

Bella brightened as well. "Really now? Mind lending a hand? I'm mostly going off of some old books and what Gunter has told me, but any help would be good at this point."

Hana picked up a handful, and sat down. "Let's get started."

The two set to work. An extra pair of hands made the going much smoother. It was late evening when they finished, but they had made respectable progress, creating some wooden practice spears, swords and even a hefty practice axe, although Bella felt she should get some advice on that one; the weight wasn't quite right.

She had to admit, it was kind of relaxing, carving and learning tricks to make the going easier. They weren't perfect, but they were perfectly serviceable as practice weaponry.

"Well," She sighed, looking at their work. "That should do for the moment."

"Great!" Hana picked up a practice sword, giving it a few swings. "These aren't bad."

Bella chuckled, giving one a few twirls as well. "Yeah. I'm not too handy with a sword and even I can tell that they're quite serviceable."

Hana dashed outside. "Then get better! Spar with me."

Bella huffed. "My goodness…" She picked up the practice axe, testing it. "...Meh, it's not perfect, but it will have to do!" And with that, she strolled out after Hana.

* * *

Bella had a few bruises, but she wasn't bothered by them too much. She sat, waiting for Princess Sakura to finish healing the worst one; both her and Hana had lost their balance after a particularly fierce bout, and Hana had tripped head-first into her ribs, leaving her breathless on the floor.

And, according to Sakura, she was lucky that her ribs hadn't cracked or worse.

"I suppose I could have been more cautious, but it was rather fun." She admitted, smiling. "Up until the part where her head collided with me."

"P-please be more c-careful from now on…" Sakura admonished nervously. "Even S-subaki has trouble sometimes when he spars with Hana…"

"I'll try, Princess." Bella winced. "Ow-ow! It feels  _worse_ now…"

"That's the um… t-the adrenaline running out…" Sakura gave her festal a slow wave, letting the magic soothe the bruised ribs. "It um, i-it means you're feeling pain you ignored e-earlier…"

"I think my previous confidence and my lack of regret was misplaced."

"You're t-talking even m-more… uh... long-winded...ly…? Than normal."

"I'm coping with the fact that gravity is such a harsh mistress. And Hana has a boulder for a head."

Sakura bit back a giggle. "You seem quite strong too… H-headbutts can be  _very_  dangerous, even accidental o-ones… And uhm, you just had some heavy bruising."

"I do sit-ups… Well, the bruising doesn't  _feel_ good." Bella winced. "But it could be worse. Thank you for the healing Lady Sakura."

"O-of course! I am a healer, after all…!" Sakura managed a small smile.

"Well, that's more than enough. I've nothing but respect for healers." Bella rubbed her midsection gingerly. "We had a priest back home who was a marvelous healer… Injuries in the mountains are usually quite serious."

"O-oh my… I can see why you would need a good healer… Nohr is pretty cold, r-right?"

"Especially in the mountains, Princess. The Ice Tribe have it the coldest, but they know ice- they understand it and can  _use_ it. Ice and cold and snow is what they live with for all their life, but not the poor folks like us who lived up in the mountains."

"I've never seen the mountains, just the hills in Hoshido." Sakura confessed, taking a seat, interested by the conversation. "But u-um, big sister s-says it's very… dark and grey."

"Well, it depends, milady. A lot of Nohr is just grey stone. But there are the bogs in the center, and south are the port towns, which are actually quite nice… But crops are a bit tough to raise. Meat and milk are more common; although we do have lots of wheat. It's tough and can grow anywhere there's dirt."

Sakura lowered her gaze. "I-I see…"

"That isn't to say it's a miserable place." Bella smiled. "Well, the mountains are... But southward, there are some lovely places, especially in summer. Nohr has its own beauty, although it's much bleaker to look at than Hoshido in many places..."

"W-well, it's nice to learn more a-about it." Sakura smiled weakly. "I-I guess we probably will have to go there, eventually, i-if big sister wants to make everyone be able to fight together."

"We'll be okay." Bella smiled. "I wasn't feeling very optimistic before, but hopefully the Wind Tribe will be able to point us in the right direction. There's a river that leads south, so I suppose we'll be following it. Always best to stick near fresh water, after all."

"I s-suppose… that makes sense…"

Belladonna chuckled. "Well, sir Gunter knows best in this case, but Lady Corrin has some basic tactical and military training as well, so we'll have to defer to their judgement."

"Um, what a-about you?"

"I'll keep us fed and keep weapons in our hands. And I'll do my best to get better at fighting. Size and muscle is only so helpful if I don't know what I'm doing with it!"

* * *

Bella realized quickly that training was a wonderful way to accumulate bruises. Hana was faster and more skilled than her, Gunter was more experienced, Subaki was superior in all aspects, she had never trained with Jakob, and Corrin was far  _far_ more nimble.

She jokingly blamed being out of practice, but it was mostly inexperience. She'd fought a few faceless, but generally intimidation worked enough that she hadn't needed to use her axe much until now.

This was going to be a  _very_ rough time for her.

* * *

_Well, journal, I spent most of today training._

…

_I hurt in places I didn't know I had._

…

_I'll write something else when the hurting stops._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not much to say. I'm gonna be deviating from the main plot here and there soon, mostly to give this story a bit more life of its own. Hope you enjoy!
> 
> Feel free to review and such! I appreciate it!
> 
> Goodnight everybody!

**Author's Note:**

> THIS TOOK LIKE FIVE TRIES OKAY I DONT EVEN KNOW IF ITS GOOD
> 
> Okay, initial panic out of the way. I'll start re-playing Fates some more, just for the sake of refreshing memory. I like how you can skip to the Choice, but I need to actually play the chapters before the Choice because I, amazingly, remember them the least.
> 
> And wow. This chapter is huge too, compared to my usual work... It might take a while to get into what this story is more about- it's going to be focused a lot more on characters than it will the main plot.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed, leave a comment, and either celebrate or curse my return, you know the deal. Goodnight everybody.


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